An Iranian women's rights activist, Negin Sheykholeslami, has been detained in Tehran.

The reason for her arrest on October 4 and the charges against her are not clear.

According to unconfirmed reports, she is being held in Section 209 of Tehran's notorious Evin Prison. But one of her relatives tells RFE/RL's Radio Farda that her family have received no word on her whereabouts.

Sheykholeslami is one of the founders of the Azar Mehr Cultural Center, a nongovernmental organization based in Iran's Kurdistan Province that is active in women's rights issues. She is also a member of the One Million Signatures campaign that aims at gathering public support against discriminatory laws.

Sheykholeslami, who has been detained twice in the past, recently published a statement warning against female circumcision in Iran's Kurdistan.

Journalists In Trouble

RFE/RL journalists take risks, face threats, and make sacrifices every day in an effort to gather the news. Our "Journalists In Trouble" page recognizes their courage and conviction, and documents the high price that many have paid simply for doing their jobs. More